A collaborative leadership team of scientists and other professionals dedicate their considerable expertise and time to guide SCEC’s programs. By-Laws define their roles, responsibilities, and procedures for conducting business.
The Statewide California Earthquake Center (SCEC) has adopted a new organizational structure to meet evolving scientific and programmatic needs. This three-branch structure consists of:
The SCEC leadership are a dedicated and diverse group of scientists and professionals representing various career stages and institutions. They guide Center activities by leveraging their expertise in earthquake research, education, administration, and community engagement.
SCEC has implemented changes to support its statewide transition, including adjusted focus areas, a new leadership and governance structure, and leadership recruitment in 2024-2025. Nominations for new leadership positions will be solicited soon.
The Director and Co-Director serve as Principal Investigators and are responsible for managing the grants or contracts that support the Center’s major activities. They are supported by an Executive Operations Committee and full-time staff at USC, SCEC’s lead institution.
Yehuda Ben-Zion
USC
Center Director
ExCom Chair
Greg Beroza
Stanford
Center Co-Director
SSC Chair
Alice Gabriel
UCSD
Proposal Review
Committee Chair
Tim Dawson
CGS
Board of Directors
Chair
Rachel Abercrombie
Boston Univ
Board of Directors
Vice-Chair
Firstname Lastname
TBD
Board Officer for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Philip Maechling
USC
Associate Director Research Computing & Cyberinfrastructure
Tran Huynh
USC
Associate Director Science Operations
Mark Benthien
USC
Associate Director Public Education & Preparedness
Gabriela Noriega
USC
Assistant Director Experiential Learning & Career Advancement
Executive Operations Committee (ExCom)
Sets strategic direction, guides Center-wide program development, and ensures day-to-day operations align with strategic goals, available resources (funding, personnel, technology), and contractual obligations.
Philip Maechling
USC
Associate Director Research Computing
Mei-Hui Su
USC
Computer Scientist Community Earth Models
Fabio Silva
USC
Computer Scientist Quakeworx, BBP, and CSEP
Scott Callaghan
USC
Computer Scientist
CyberShake
Akash Bhatthal
USC
Software Engineer
OpenSHA
Tran Huynh
USC
Associate Director Science Operations
Deborah Gormley
USC
Business Operations
Specialist
Edric Pauk
USC
Research Programmer Community Information System
Phoebe Long
USC
Office Assistant at
SCEC Headquarters, USC
Mark Benthien
USC
Associate Director Public Education & Preparedness
Vanessa Nava
USC
Project Specialist for
Public Education & Preparedness
Edward Salcido
USC
Web Developer for Education & Engagement
Gabriela Noriega
USC
Assistant Director Experiential Learning & Career Advancement
Firstname Lastname
USC
Project Specialist for Experiential Learning & Career Advancement
Xiaofeng Meng
USC
Research Associate, Seismic Hazard Analysis
Camilo Ramos
USC
Postdoctoral Scholar, Seismic Hazard Analysis
SCEC Staff and Postdocs at USC Headquarters
A team of 16 staff and postdoc support the broad range of the Center’s activities with expertise in applied science, project management, research administration, education & engagement, software development, and research computing.
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The SCEC Board of Directors oversees the Center’s management and governance. It includes representatives from core and participating institutions, along with USGS liaisons. A subset of Board members serve as Officers who handle essential functions for Board operations.
Tim Dawson
CGS
Board of Directors
Chair
Rachel Abercrombie
Boston Univ
Board of Directors
Vice-Chair
Firstname Lastname
TBD
Board Officer for
Management Oversight
Firstname Lastname
TBD
Board Officer for
Professional Conduct
Firstname Lastname
TBD
Board Officer for
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Firstname Lastname
TBD
Board Officer for
Leadership Recruitment
Firstname Lastname
TBD
Board Officer for
Elections and Voting
Firstname Lastname
TBD
Board Officer for
By-Laws and Governance
Firstname Lastname
TBD
Board Officer for
Stakeholder Engagement
Firstname Lastname
TBD
Board Officer for Communications
Board of Directors — Officers
Manages critical Center governance activities including Management Oversight, Professional Conduct, Equity Diversity & Inclusion, Leadership Recruitment, Elections and Voting, By-Laws & Governance, Stakeholder Management, and Communications.
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Richard Allen
UC Berkeley
Core Institution Representative
Sylvain Barbot
USC
Core Institution Representative
Camilla Cattania
MIT
Core Institution Representative
Yifeng Cui
SDSC
Core Institution Representative
Tim Dawson
CGS
Core Institution Representative
Ben Duan
Texas A&M
Core Institution Representative
Emily Haddad
ELAC
Core Institution Representative
Martha House
PCC
Core Institution Representative
Chen Ji
UC Santa Barbara
Core Institution Representative
Christos Kyriakopoulos
Univ of Memphis
Core Institution Representative
Jillian Maloney
SDSU
Core Institution Representative
David Oglesby
UC Riverside
Core Institution Representative
Arben Pitarka
LLNL
Core Institution Representative
Andreas Plesch
Harvard
Core Institution Representative
Zach Ross
Caltech
Core Institution Representative
John Rundle
UC Davis
Core Institution Representative
Heather Savage
UC Santa Cruz
Core Institution Representative
Paul Segall
Stanford
Core Institution Representative
Bruce Shaw
Columbia
Core Institution Representative
Peter Shearer
UC San Diego
Core Institution Representative
Jon Stewart
UC Los Angeles
Core Institution Representative
Daniel Trugman
UNR
Core Institution Representative
Rachel Abercrombie
Boston Univ
At-Large Representative
Rowena Lohman
Cornell Univ
At-Large Representative
Firstname Lastname
TBD
At-Large Representative
Firstname Lastname
TBD
At-Large Representative
Ruth Harris
USGS, Moffett Field
USGS Liaison
to SCEC Board
Morgan Moschetti
USGS, Golden
USGS Liaison
to SCEC Board
Kate Scharer
USGS, Moffett Field
USGS Liaison
to SCEC Board
Board of Directors — Institutional Representatives
Participates in the oversight of Center management via the Board of Directors. Appointed by their institutions, they act as liaisons, fostering communication and encouraging institutional engagement in SCEC’s research, education, and outreach activities.
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SCEC’s Science Steering Branch guides research by identifying promising new research directions, and engaging the broader scientific community. A Science Steering Committee sets annual science goals and solicits proposals aligned with them. A Proposal Review Committee evaluates these proposals and recommends the portfolio of projects to the Directors and Board for annual funding.
Greg Beroza
Stanford
Science Steering
Committee Chair
Firstname Lastname
TBD
Firstname Lastname
TBD
Science Steering Committee (SSC)
Monitors research progress, identifies priorities, and sets Center science goals. With input from the SCEC community and leadership, they cultivate new research ideas, and develop the annual science plan guiding proposal submissions to SCEC’s research program.
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Alice Gabriel
UCSD
Proposal Review
Committee Chair
Ramon Arrowsmith
ASU
Plate Boundary System
Nick Beeler
USGS
Fault and Rupture Mechanics
Roland Bürgmann
UC Berkeley
Stress and Deformation Over Time
Marine Denolle
Univ of Washington
Community Capability Building
Ahmed E. Elbanna
UIUC
Research Computing
William Griffith
Ohio State
Earthquake Geology
Nadia Lapusta
Caltech
Fault and Rupture Mechanics
Karen Luttrell
Louisana State Univ
Stress and Deformation Over Time
Scott Marshall
App State
Community Earth Models
Morgan Page
USGS
Earthquake Forecasting & Predictability
Patricia Persaud
Univ of Arizona
Community Capability Building
Ricardo Taborda
Univ EAFIT
Research Computing
Clifford Thurber
Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison
Seismology
Greg Beroza
Stanford
Proposal Review
Committee Vice-Chair
Proposal Review Committee (PRC)
24-30 expert reviewers (representing 12 disciplinary and interdisciplinary focus areas) who evaluate proposals submitted to SCEC, and recommend the annual portfolio of research proposals, trainings, and workshops to fund to the Board, Center Directors, and sponsors to act on.
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Major Activities (MAs) encompass cross-cutting Center efforts that support core operations: SCEC’s current major activities include (1) Earthquake System Science & the San Andreas Fault System, (2) Research Computing & Cyberinfrastructure, (3) Education & Workforce Development, (4) Outreach & Community Engagement, and (5) Collaboration Planning & Program Evaluation.
Technical Work Groups and Task Forces are established to address well-defined scientific inquiries, organizational needs, or specific problems. These groups operate under a defined charge or problem statement, and typically follow a planning process that incorporates external input. Their activities are sunsetted upon achieving their objectives.
SCEC’s annual planning process is flexible and community-driven. This process incorporates annual checkpoints to assess risks, program outcomes, and broader impacts. To evaluate our effectiveness in achieving research, education, and engagement goals, SCEC leverages the existing management structure and engages an External Advisory Council.
Steve Bohlen
LLNL
EAC Chair
Tim Cockerill
TACC
EAC Member
Heidi Tremayne
EERI
EAC Member
Francois Renard
Univ of Oslo
EAC Member
Robert Woodward
EarthScope
EAC Member
External Advisory Council (EAC)
Academics, practitioners, and other external stakeholders who evaluate the Center’s broader societal impact and advises on strategies to enhance its sustainability and effectiveness, informing future program development.
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Major Funding From
ABOUT SCEC
HEADQUARTERS AT
Statewide California Earthquake Center
University of Southern California
3651 Trousdale Parkway #169
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0742
